Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Amish Mafia?

Gone are the days when networks like the Discovery Channel and
TLC featured programming that allowed viewers to get their dork on. The
channels that used to be a nerd’s favorites are now filled with
programs that focus on finding obscure places to hunt for gold and
building custom guns and motorcycles. While the Discovery Channel’s
newest venture may be entertaining, it in no way fosters the pursuit of
knowledge, Discovery’s original goal. It’s actually opposite, airing
what seems to be a dramatization as a reality show and exploiting a
minority population. The most disappointing aspect of the new show,
“Amish Mafia” is that it’s actually quite entertaining, but would fit in
better on HBO than the Discovery Channel. The network should not
present a show as a true reality series when it’s obvious that it is
scripted.

On
December 12, 2012 Discovery aired the first episode of Amish Mafia. It
opened with a disclaimer telling viewers that the Amish Church denies
the existence of the Amish Mafia and to protect participants and their
family members some identifying information has been changed. There
aren’t any scenes that have that little ‘Dramatization” disclaimer in
the corner, so I’m led to believe that the entire thing is a
re-enactment. In fact, as the show goes off there’s another disclaimer
that reads, “Recreations are based on eye witness accounts,
testimonials, and the legend of the Amish Mafia.” So in other words,
what you have just seen is totally fabricated based on stories the
producers were told.

Jolin

It seems as
if the fiasco that followed TLC’s, Discovery’s sister channel,
“Breaking Amish” taught them something. After “Breaking Amish” aired it
came out that much of the show was scripted and faked, but there was no
disclaimer saying so. After catching a lot of flak over the fakery,
Discovery jumped on the sudden fascination with the Amish (there was
also “Amish at the Alter” on the National Geographic Channel and Neve
Campbell starred in the Lifetime Movie “An Amish Murder”) but included
the disclaimer.

Even with the disclaimer, Amish Mafia has been catching heat for not
being a reality show. So much so that last week another new episode
aired that gave cast members the opportunity to ensure viewers that what
they were watching was real. As evidence they produced a local genealogy book that records all Amish births in the area. Sure enough,
their names were in there. And that proves, what? That they were born
Amish? The show explains that the Mafia members haven’t been baptized
into the Amish Church so they can operate outside it’s laws. I’ve never
heard of a show that had to air a special to validate itself. But as
much as I hate to admit it, I’m entertained by these guys. Just as with
some of the haunted house stories we’ve written about, we have to ask
if the quality of the story is worth foregoing a basis in reality.

When
you start digging around the internet you can quickly find a mountain
of evidence that Amish Mafia is fake. The first red flag pops up with
Alan Beiler, the show’s black Amish guy and Godfather Levi’s event
planner. Up until December 14, Beiler operated several websites that
were taken down after the show’s premiere. Before it was scrapped his
website stated what the show told about him, that he was born in
Brooklyn and was adopted by the Beilers when he was 9. It also listed
various jobs Belier had held in the entertainment industry and led some
to wonder if he was a paid actor. Beiler worked on National
Geographic’s “Amish at the Alter” and was a production assistant on a
movie. The website, BlackAmishMan.com featured ideas for several shows,
which included Amish reality shows, buggy races, and pimp-my-buggy
contests…sound familiar to any viewers? Sure sounds like Beiler is the
mastermind behind many of the shows storylines.

The "real" Alan Beiler on right

Surely if
these guys were all paid actors, the casting directors responsible for
their hiring have since been fired. Watch the show for a few minutes
and you’re bound to get frustrated by John, the lowest guy on Levi’s
totem pole. He seems to stammer through what he’s supposed to say.
There’s just a goofy quality about him that makes it hard to believe
he’s part of any organized thought.
In case you haven’t caught the phenomena that is “Amish Mafia,” the
show is set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where a large Amish
population lives. The show revolves around Lebanon Levi and his gang of
thugs. Levi is described as the protector, judge, and jury for the
Amish community. He describes his role as “keeping the peace and making
sure everyone’s following the rules.” I suppose he and his gang are
exempt from following those rules? The Discovery Channel website says
that Levi exists above the law.
Nevermind the fact that the show seems to depict Levi and his gang
breaking numerous laws on camera without any concern. Either they
really are above the law, or the stunts were staged. More on that
later. Similarly, the Discovery Channel’s show “Moonshiners” depicts a
handful of rednecks making illegal liqueur. I find Moonshiners
entertaining as well, especially when it comes to Tickle, but I wonder
how the cast can continue to make moonshine after they’ve been on TV
doing so. Wouldn’t local law enforcement just stake them out until they
busted them? I’m starting to see a pattern here.

“Lebanon
Levi,” the Amish Mafia’s leader, puts you in mind of a young Tony
Soprano. According to the show he came to power after John’s father
stepped down as the protector of the community, and for a price, offers
protection to local businesses and keeps the peace within the
community. A little digging turned up an old Myspace page belonging to
Levi King Stoltzfus of Richland, PA.

Levi

In one episode Levi is found doing construction work,
which is supposed to be a cover, a way to make legitimate money. In
reality, Levi is co-owner of C&L Siding, Decking, and Roofing. It
seems as if before television cameras came around Levi made a living
roofing houses. Some more digging revealed that Levi is a member of
Richland's Neptune Fire Co. At a Richland Borough Council meeting last
year Levi was given permission to set a trailer on fire and put it out
for a Discovery Channel documentary. Then we watch the final episode
this season and see the trailer, Levi’s new office, go up in flames,
but they said it was Merlin’s, Levi’s Amish Mafia boss rival, doing?

During
the first episode rap sheets for Levi and the others were shown and
started a big controversy. The arresting agency appears as the
Lancaster County Police Department. Locals were quick to point out that
there is no such agency. There is the Lancaster County Sheriffs
Department and the Lancaster City Police Department, but the Lancaster
County Police Department does not exist. The criminal records are real,
to an extent. Records have been found for four of the show’s cast
members. Levi was arrested in Shelby, OH for DUI, and has also been
arrested for public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and two other
DUIs.

The show plays up the relationship between Levi and Esther,
John’s sister. Levi has always been interested in Esther, and she uses
this to her advantage. In one episode she gets Levi out of town and
the two take a vacation in Florida. There Esther reveals to Levi that
she has two children. It seems there’s a lot more she could have
revealed. Esther’s full name is Esther
Freeman Schmucker. Before Amish Mafia Esther was shopping around for
modeling gigs. She has a profile on the dating website PlentyofFish.com
where she says she drinks socially, has children and wants more, does
not do drugs, and lists her job as “insurance policies.” She also has
accounts on Formspring, MySpace, eBay, and Twitter.

Esther rides a mechanical bull

Esther’s Twitter account was active after the show’s premiere,
touting her new relationship with Twitter user @TheRealMirkat, a rapper
who took to the site to brag about the sexual exploits that went on
between the two. Esther, posting as @ecstasy686, and Mirkat tweeted
back and forth about how in love they were. Mirkat wasn't shy about
posting pictures that seemed to show him using drugs. Since then both
the accounts have been deleted.

Esther's profile pic

Esther’s actual criminal history includes arrests for disorderly
conduct twice, and a DUI. John, who may or may not be Esther’s real
brother (they share the name Freeman Schmucker and Esther is 2 years
older) has his own real disorderly conduct charge. He’s also been
arrested for marijuana possession and a hit-and-run.
Depicted on the show as Levi’s right-hand man is Alvin. He’s the
quiet, might-be-crazy one. “Nobody gets to Levi without going through
Alvin.” Alvin Stoltzfus Lantz
has a criminal record for a DUI and for fleeing from police. On his
arrest records his occupation is listed as ‘construction’ so he may
actually work for Levi.

The motivation for the forming of a group such as the Amish
Mafia is cited on the Discovery Channel’s website as the real-life 2006
school shooting in Nickel Mines, PN. A truck driver shot and killed
five children at an Amish school. Critics are quick say the show is
disrespectful to the victims and families involved in the actual
tragedy. Several
articles quote people who live in the Lancaster area and know the cast
members. They say they are nothing like the characters depicted on the
show. Levi seems to have been a party guy for a while, but had settled
down somewhat, until he became the leader of a religious organized crime
syndicate. The residents deny the existence of an Amish Mafia.
Others say the Amish make an easy target to exploit because of their
beliefs. Most do not watch television or even have their picture taken,
so they’re not likely to come out with a public argument against the
show. The racketeering that is depicted on the show would be of
interest to FBI’s Violent Criminal Organizations unit and subject to
RICO charges. Local law enforcement officers have went on record saying
that if there was any such organization in the area they would know of
it.

So what do I think of Amish
Mafia? I wish they had done what the History Channel did with the
Haftield’s and McCoys; made a mini-series. Instead of exploiting an
actual tragedy, make one up, cast a gang of Amish thugs to fight back,
and let me watch it. Just don’t claim that it’s real. Give the viewers
some credit. It’s like professional wrestling. It doesn’t take the
fun out of it just because it’s fake. With a little polishing Amish
Mafia would have some great characters and potential storylines. Don’t
put a pothead on screen bumbling around trying to act out tall tales.
The Amish Mafia has become a legend, but legends aren’t reality. They
do make great TV movies though. Amish Mafia belongs on Showtime or HBO,
not the Discovery Channel, but we’ll support another season.